City Crick

Recently we spent an afternoon at City Creek with the kids and they loved it.  It's the new shopping center down town that will hopefully bring more people to Temple Square.  It's great.  Put it on your "must do's" when you are in town.

I can't believe how creative this shot is.  Even if you can't see City Creek beyond the cute boy.

Aubrey. Takes after her father.

Benson, who believes Alex is his very own toy.

Alex, who believes Benson is his very own jungle gym.

Jessie, telling me all about the Toy Story Jessie Hat she absolutely must have from the Disney store.

Alex told us he was in jail.

I'm realizing these pictures don't show you what City Creek looks like.  Guess you'll have to see for yourself. 

Jessica loved it so much we held her birthday party at City Creek, scavenger hunt style.  We surprised her with a horse/carriage ride which sent her into excited spasms of joy for only $15 for her and her group of friends to take a spin around the block. They all said they thought they would never get to do that until they got engaged or married or something. Sorry to steal your thunder, future boyfriends, but I had a cool party to throw. Check.

City Creek. Retractable roof.  Dancing fountains. Real stream with real fish. Oh, there's shopping there?  I hardly noticed.

Prom-ising.

I was at an event with vendors recently and a most unusual dress was on display.  You've heard of duct tape dresses, but have you heard of a book dress?

It was created with the pages of a Harry Potter Book.

For a second I was all, YEAH I would totally wear this book dress.
Yeah... where would I wear that again??
But I would want to make it just to see if I could make it.  I mean, it's got a book spine strap and everything, c'mon. I learned how to fold paper fans in like 3rd grade.

I'm thinking maybe I could talk one of my girls into doing this (with more sleeves) at their prom time.  From what I hear, prom dresses these days are in the $300 range. That's more than my wedding dress cost.  What?!

Benson went to prom this weekend. 
As the guy, he...
bought the tickets
corsage
paid the dinner tip. 

Not bad.  He also...
borrowed the tux
skipped getting his hair and makeup done (ha)
I took the pics
and one of the kids had gift certificates to the restaurant.
took the suburban (no limo) 
planned a beautiful hike and picnic for the day activity (free)

I bet you could spend a wad for prom if you weren't on the frugal circuit. I loved that all the other kids in our family had the standard set appropriately.

I was really impressed with Benson's date- she rented a really modest dress and looked stunning.  She's as beautiful inside as outside.

What a cute boy I have. He's happy and surrounds himself with good people.  Did I tell you he switched high schools for his senior year and that I was stressed about how that would turn out?  He just kept saying he had a good feeling about it.  He was right.

Prom.  It's like trying out being a grown up.  I think he liked it.

Did you look under there? "Under where?" Oh, underWEAR.

Jackson had show and tell today, so I had to bring in our banana tree that now has like 7 leaves finally.

His teacher pulled me aside.  "By the way, Jack's reason for being late this morning was great."

Hmm, I didn't write a note.  Oh yeah, when they are late for school they sign in at the office computer and they  have to put down a reason.

Teacher:  "Yeah, his note said he was late because his little brother wouldn't put his pants on."

It was true.  Aren't my kids just hysterical? (insert crawling under a rock)


The good news is Alex finally got potty trained the last two weeks.  He's still hung up on the fact that his underwear has an unseemly HOLE in the front (which he asks me to sew up) so in the meantime he wears all of his underwear backwards.  No convincing him otherwise.  I guess he feels "safer" that way.  Maybe he worries something might pop out?

He also misses all the attention he initially got from going potty so he'll yell out, "HEY EVERYBODY I'M GOING PEE, YOU HAVE TO COME CLAP!!"  So we do.  We clap a lot around here.

I think I could use more clapping for things I do.  It's surprisingly positive.

Bloom Where You are "Plan"ted

My sister in law and I have a lot of kids between us.  So we spent Spring Break together packing in all the fun we could manage.

And we had an interesting conversation about kids/money/chores/college that's gotten me thinking.  She mapped out the next 15 years or so, identifying what years everybody would be doing everything:  college, missions, possible weddings... so I tried it and after I gave myself a heart attack... I'm feeling better about having a plan.

However, I haven't gotten through life this far without figuring out that plans don't always have a way of going accordingly.

But I'm thinking:  Heavenly Father MUST be inclined to bless us when we have a plan.  And then when something goes "off plan" we at least can use our plan to adjust instead of having no idea how to make things work.

By the way, I don't have a plan.  HA!  But I know what I'm facing more clearly and the plan is formulating.

Benson will be graduating at the end of THIS MONTH.  I'm a little freaking out about that because I didn't know how to plan for this.  He is my practice child and despite our failings and experimentation he's turning out really great.  But I've learned a few things and maybe by the time Alex comes through I'll be so much better at this.

Having Benson has:
1.  given me a heads up that I don't have a lot of time left with the other kids
2.  given me a financial wakeup call
3.  given me the steep learning curve on being a parent
4.  strengthened every aspect of who I am

As we know, our Heavenly Father does have a plan for us.  It's a crazy ride watching it all unfold and aligning our will with His and making a plan is a tricky thing.  Maybe it's even laughable.  I almost feel like everything in my life has been preparing me for this time of my life which is requiring everything I have to give and more.

Look at me all waxing philosophical.  It will probably pass.  Especially since someone is calling my name.  Of course. "MOM?!" 

Aristotle hat off.  Taxi Driver cap on. I can do this.